A sign warns of extreme heat as tourists enter Death Valley National Park Saturday, June 29, 2013.
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 | 1:52 p.m.
A 65-year-old man was found dead in his car at Death Valley National Park this week, the apparent victim of extreme heat, park officials said.
A National Park Service maintenance worker noticed a vehicle about 10 a.m. Monday about 30 yards off North Highway, officials said. The worker walked to the car and found the man unresponsive, officials said.
The man, from the San Diego, Calif., area, was declared dead at the scene, officials said. His name was not released.
The car’s tracks ran along the shoulder of the road and a rocky berm before veering farther away from the paved road, officials said.
The vehicle did not crash but had two flat tires, officials said. The initial investigation suggests heat-related illness may have caused the driver to run off the road, officials said.
The high temperature the previous day was 126 degrees, and the overnight low was 98 degrees.
The vehicle was operational and was not stuck, but the air conditioner was not working, officials said. The driver’s window was found down, further indication the air was not functioning when the man was driving, officials said.
Death Valley National Park is about 130 miles northwest of Las Vegas. National Park Service rangers, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and the Inyo County Coroner’s Office responded to the incident.
